Consummate solution to the problem of classical electromagnetic scattering by an ensemble of spheres I: Linear chains

Abstract

An outline is provided of the derivation of an order-of-scattering technique that we apply here for the first reported time to the study of light scattering by two or more interacting spheres. This new method provides what is to our knowledge the first complete physical description of the classical processes involved in cooperative EM scattering by an aggregate of spheres. In addition, the algorithms that it employs are often more efficient than those used in an already established method. Comparisons between selected calculations and experimental results are made for linear chains of three and five spheres, and effects of particle orientation are investigated theoretically.